No ID? Maryland gins up voters, and potential fraud

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lowering the bar for voting while raising the opportunity for fraud, a Maryland task force wants to “modernize” the state’s online registration process — and much more.

Maryland already has some of the loosest election rules in the nation. No ID is required to vote. Effective this month, individuals can register online by inputting a name, birth date and the last four digits of their Social Security number.

The Right to Vote Task Force seeks to knock down even those rules. The Montgomery County panel — 10 Democrats, three Republicans, one independent and one Green Party member appointed by the County Council — would not require proof of legal residency to register.

The task force’s 59 recommendations will be discussed Tuesday in Rockville. The public meeting is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room, 100 Maryland Ave. Persons wishing to testify can register by calling (240) 777-7803.

Robyn Sachs, a board member of Election Integrity Maryland, calls the proposals “radical.” Others warn that ideas like disconnecting voter registration from state Motor Vehicle Authority records, and allowing 16-year-olds to vote in county elections, could create havoc.